As the year comes to a close, there is one group we’ve yet to hear from about the Best of 2016: The Directors.
Filmmakers are busy folks, and some were instantly wary about making a list, with “I haven’t seen enough movies to make a top ten list” a common reply. So we decided to keep it loose. Including TV and other forms of entertainment was encouraged, how they chose to frame their list was totally flexible, and even if they only had a handful of projects they wanted to highlight, IndieWire made it clear we wanted to know what inspired them this year.
The most exciting thing, beyond how many great directors replied, is the time and energy they put into their lists. Be it Kirsten Johnson’s tribute to Abbas Kiarostami, Paul Feig’s surprise message to “Ghostbuster” trolls, Jennifer Kent teasing the start of her new film, David Lowery praising the genius of Louis CK, or Matt Johnson making us laugh out loud, the wit and wisdom baked into these replies was a pleasant surprise. It also was a reminder that some of the biggest film lovers in the world are the artists who make them.
The best part of these lists is the spotlight shined on works that haven’t been part of the “Best of 2016” discussions. Directors, like all of us, loved “OJ: Made in America” and “Manchester by the Sea,” but they also were quick to highlight little discussed films like “Spa Night” or the brilliant work of British documentarian Adam Curtis.
So here it is, IndieWire’s Best of 2016, through the eyes of some of our favorite directors.
Brady Corbet ("The Childhood of a Leader")
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